Master's Degree Programme
| About the programme Language: English and Danish (See language requirements) | Place of study: Aarhus | Commencement: August / September (no winter intake) |
English is the language of globalisation. It is the mother tongue of around 350 million people, and an even larger number speaks English as a second language. The MA in English opens career opportunities in important national and international sectors associated with the cultural, creative, and related industries or in the field of teaching.
During the Master’s degree programme, you can specialize through a mixture of obligatory and elective courses as you build on your BA and work with contemporary topics in either English-language literature, linguistics, or the history, society and culture of the English-speaking world.
Whether your passion is for Anglophone literature, language, history, or all things English, the degree programme allows you to immerse yourself in the latest developments within your field of interest. You will go into depth with issues of what constitutes evidence within fields of literature, linguistics, culture, and history. You will gain greater insight into standard English, its variations and the changes that have shaped it around the world as well as myths about language itself. You will gain an understanding of the way cultural phenomena can influence literature and how literature in turn can influence culture. Approaching literary works with new reading techniques and theories, you will work with creative processes, storytelling and adaptation, and learn how creativity can be commercialised. You will work with social media, film and other elements of visual culture as well as working in-depth with current concerns such as identity politics, gender, media and transnationalism. You will learn how to apply historical, social and cultural knowledge within contemporary markets. In sum, you will be equipped with knowledge, skills and competences valued in both private and non-profit sectors.
You will gain a deeper understanding of the language, culture, and history of English-speaking countries through activities that include excursions, lectures, seminars, and a variety of individual and group tasks. You will be trained in effective written and verbal English communication through a variety of exam forms, ranging from writing for popular magazines to academic research papers to an oral exam. You will be able to convey information and ideas clearly and vividly, both verbally and in writing, and to plan and carry out large complex projects.
Today, numerous jobs in the private market as well as public institutions require advanced English language skills and analytical knowledge of the English-speaking world. You acquire these competences in the Master’s degree in English. In this degree programme, you use English at a high international level and gain in-depth knowledge of the history, culture and social conditions of the English-speaking world.
Whether you seek a career in the private or non-profit sectors or as a teacher, it is important that you have comprehensive knowledge of the English language and the cultures and societies of English-speaking countries. In many situations, it is also a requirement that you have a high level of English language proficiency. With a Master’s degree in English, you will have knowledge, skills, and competences necessary for working in the global economy.
In this section you can learn more about the admission requirements relevant to the master's degree programme in English. Depending on your educational background and your qualifications, there are different ways to meet the admission requirements:
This section is relevant for you, if you have:
The two sections listed below are relevant only for students with a bachelor's degree from a Danish institution:
Below you will also be able to learn more about language requirements and find out whether or not this master's degree programme has a limited intake.
If you have an international educational background, you must meet both the general admission requirement and the specific admission requirements:
You must have a bachelor's degree or equivalent that is comparable to a Danish bachelor's degree in both level and duration (180 ECTS).
For more information about how your bachelor's degree is assessed, please see the national database.
If you meet the general admission requirement, the university will continue on to assess whether or not you meet the specific admission requirements.
You can be admitted to the master's programme if the university assesses that your education has a level, scope, and content that corresponds to the academic requirements specified below.
| Subject area | Number of ECTS |
English-language literature | 20* |
English linguistics | 20* |
History, society and culture in English-speaking countries | 20* |
Other | 40* |
Total | 100* |
* The Bachelor’s degree should as a minimum include 100 ECTS in a combination of at least two of the above mentioned three areas, including at least 20 ECTS in each of the 2-3 qualifying areas.
We cannot assess in advance whether your specific degree will meet the above requirements. Therefore, we recommend that you apply for the programme if you believe that you meet the academic requirements. In this regard, it is a good idea to compare your degree with the programmes that provide direct admission.
The following Bachelor's degree programme(s) from Aarhus University entitles you to an offer of admission to the Master's degree programme in English:
Please note that you must apply for admission to the Master's degree programme within three years of completing your Bachelor's degree programme.
Learn more about Legal right of admission.
Certain Bachelor's degree programmes from Aarhus University and various other Danish Universities have been determined to meet the admission requirements to this Master's degree programme in English:
This master's degree programme has a limited intake.
Because of the limited intake all qualified applicants will be prioritised according to a set of selection critieria (see below).
Meeting the admission requirements does not automatically ensure your offer of admission. Only if you have a specific bachelor's degree from Aarhus University with a so-called 'legal right of admission' will you be guarenteed an offer of admission to this master's degree programme.
If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of vacant places, the following criteria will be taken into account in the selection process (each criterion counts as 1/3):
1. Grade level from qualifying degree programme
2. Grades achieved in relevant subject areas:
Literatures in English
English Linguistics
History, Society and Culture in English-speaking countries
Please note that grades obtained after the application deadline are not included in the grade level.
3. Relevant subject areas (expressed in ECTS credits). This assessment does not include ECTS credits, which are part of the admission requirements described under 'Other degree programmes that may give access'.
Literatures in English
English Linguistics
History, Society and Culture in English-speaking countries
In order to be admitted to this programme you must meet the university's english language requirements.
Students with bachelor's degree from Aarhus University with a so-called 'Legal right of admission' are exempt from the English language requirement.
Unfortunately, Aarhus University is not able to assess your qualifications beforehand. In order for your qualifications to be assessed you must apply for admission. To learn more, please go to Assessment of your qualifications.
As a student it is important to know the regulations for your chosen subject: what is the content, how is it structured and what does it require from you. You can find this information in the academic regulations.
In the following graphical representation of the education you can click the various courses, which will direct you to the webpage of the courses.
At the Department of English, both the number of students in the different courses and the teaching methods vary. You attend lectures together with many other students and supplementary subject courses with between five and twenty students. In addition to the lectures, the instruction includes seminars, group work and presentations by students where the students are encouraged to participate actively in the teaching and express their opinions.
Several hundred students study English and there are plenty of opportunities to meet them outside the classrooms and lecture halls.
Anglia organises parties in the course of the year where you can meet fellow students and the many exchange students who also attend classes in English.
The English Lecture Society is a student association that organises informal guest lectures.
Esperanto is the name of the Friday bar at the Department of Languages, Literature and Culture. Here you can also meet students who study other languages at the department.
The Dolphin Newsletter is written by students.
The Mobile University where university students teach at upper secondary school gives you an opportunity to test your teaching skills.
Lots of other activities take place throughout the year for students at ARTS. Keep updated through the activities calendar here.
Student-to-student is your opportunity to ask about being a student at the Faculty of Arts and about Aarhus and Denmark in general. Other international students who have already taken the leap and study for their Master's degree at the Faculty of Arts will gladly answer all of your questions.
- experienced, photographed and filmed by the students themselves.
With thousands of pictures #AUInternational, #AarhusUni gives insight into the everyday life as a student at AU; the parties, procrastination, exams and all the other ways you’ll spend your time at university.
The photos belong to the users, shared with #AUInternational and #AarhusUni.
The chart shows the five most common types of work for graduates 1-2 years after finishing their degree. The data is derived from a survey made by Epinion for the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and Aarhus University in 2020.
The Master’s degree in English gives you the following qualifications:
The English language. Through your degree programme, you acquire mastery of the English language, a comprehensive and varied vocabulary, correct pronunciation and grammar. These skills qualify you for jobs as a teacher or translator, in the publishing industry and in private and public sector companies.
Culture and understanding. You acquire an understanding of the cultural and social conditions in English-speaking countries. These competences can be used in jobs within tourism, cultural exchange and communication.
Communication. During your studies, you learn to communicate ideas and information clearly and vividly, both verbally and in writing.
Intercultural work. Your knowledge of the history and social conditions of English-speaking countries enables you to work in intercultural and international contexts.
Structure and management. In the course of your studies, you complete a fair amount of reading, examinations and group work and are therefore skilled in planning and carrying out large, complex projects.
The following are the five most common jobs for English graduates:
Upper secondary school teacher. Many English graduates teach at upper secondary school, and as English as a subject was strengthened with the reform of upper secondary school education, the future looks bright if this is what you dream of doing.
Communication and IT. With the excellent language and communication skills acquired during the degree programme, English graduates are qualified to work in the communication and IT industries as communication advisors, web editors or text writers, etc.
Administration and organisation. English is the working language in a growing number of workplaces, and many English graduates are therefore employed as consultants, heads of department or project managers.
Teaching and research. English graduates also teach at other institutions than upper secondary schools, for example at training colleges, universities, language schools as well as at folk high schools and within continuing education.
Translation and interpreting. The degree programme qualifies students for translation and interpreting work at, for example, international companies and organisations within the EU and the UN.
It is also possible to pursue a career as a researcher by applying for admission to the PhD programme at the faculty’s graduate school. Students can apply for admission to one of Aarhus University’s PhD programmes after completing their Bachelor’s degree and the first year of their Master’s degree, or after completing their thesis.
Please contact the Student Counselling Office for advice about employment opportunities and the subject profile options of your degree programme.
You can read more about the career services that are available from Arts Karriere who provide information about employment opportunities as well as arranging various events and workshops.
